12. Meditation 6

Pay special attention to your thoughts while including all other sensations.

Once again sit comfortably and gently close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.

And now just feel your body resting in space, feel the points of contact with the chair or cushion, feel the sensations of temperature and pressure and then become aware of the sensation of breathing, wherever you feel it most distinctly, at the tip of the nose or in your chest or abdomen.
Just cover the breath with your awareness.
From the moment it arises, to the moment it subsides.
And the moment you notice that your mind is grown entangled by thought, whether words or images.

See if you can clearly notice the present thought itself.
What happens to it?
Does it linger for a while?
Does it disappear?
And then come back to the raw sensation of breathing.

And as you pay attention to the breath, you become aware of the sounds in your environment.
Notice each one as it impinges upon your awareness.
And observe too that you can’t control the next sound that you hear.
You don’t know what it will be.
And you can’t hold onto it for a moment longer than it naturally persists.
And then come back to the raw sensation of breathing.

Once again, the moment you notice that you’re lost in thought, pay close attention to the thought itself.
What happens to it?
Where does it go?
And then come back to the raw sensation of breathing or the clear perception of sounds.

In the last minute of the session, just start again.
You might sit a little straighter and pay attention to the next breath, as though it were the first.
And then come back to the raw sensation of breathing.

Okay. Well, once again, thank you for taking the time to pay attention in this way.

And as you go about your day, see if you can punctuate your experience with clear moments of mindfulness.

It really can just be a moment, noticing a change in posture, noticing a sight or a sound or a single inhalation.
Just see if you can break the spell of identification with thought for a moment here and there.